Nightmare
by Annella
Summary: The Madness is spreading, Marie is having a hard time dealing with the resulting chaos; Maka is having nightmares about being attacked. Set after Crona comes to the DWMA. Some Marie/Stein.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Thanks for clicking on my story!

This is my first one, so please send me any comments or criticism by reviewing. Please note that the story in the anime differs significantly from the manga. This story is based off the anime, and will veer from it.

The story takes place after Crona joins the DWMA, after the Kishin Asura is released.

Edit: The first chapter is now split into 2 parts. I've also made some other minor edits.

"Verbal dialogue."

_Thoughts._

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**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Soul Eater.**

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**Chapter 1**

A high scream rent the cold night.

Nearby, a black cat startles from its window ledge, hair standing on end, its fanged mouth hissing with surprise. Leaping to the stony ground, it runs off, perhaps to find a new window to curl up under. One that was brighter and warmer, and far away from this one.

x X x

**Earlier that Evening:**

"Alright that's it, class. Have a great weekend." Marie dismissed her class with a smile. Talking and laughing, they packed up their things and were gone, plans for the weekend filling their heads.

She sighed as the last student exited her class. Her glued smile dropped. Her shoulders drooped.

_How long can I keep this up?_ she wondered. Looking out the window, she watched the students walking down the steps of the school. She turned to collect the student's papers. She stacked them, sat down at her desk, and dejectedly, began to grade them.

Usually, her happiness and positive attitude were genuine, but today was not a good day. Marie felt devastated and depressed. As she finished grading papers and tidying up, she frowned, her mind concentrated on other matters.

Stein was sick, and she was worried.

Marie had been filling in for him at the DWMA on Lord Death's orders for almost two weeks. At first she would accompany him at all times, both to his classes and at home. Marie made sure she was always there for him. At first it was okay. Do able. But it hadn't helped him in the long run. No, not in the least. Despite Stein's desperate attempts to stave off madness, it would come anyway. Take him over. Multiple times a day he suffered uncontrollable madness, He tried to hurt those around him; including one particularly close call with Maka. Marie had stopped him only just in time. The poor girl must have nightmares...Marie knew she herself did. As Stein's condition grew exponentially worse, and the weeks went by, eventually they reached the point where Lord Death felt it would be best for him to be away from the children, and people in general. Marie would teach the class in his stead, and Stein had to be confined to his house. Any other way would be too dangerous.

She still lived with him. She went to him whenever she wasn't at school. She was_ supposed_ to have an anti-madness aura, which was supposed to help him. She might have once, but now? She was too depressed herself to help anyone. She felt like darkness was seeping into her heart. A depression which had never previously existed. She felt helpless before it.

She couldn't do this anymore. It was not that she didn't want to help him. Marie loved him. Once you love someone, you can't just take it back. It becomes ingrained into your whole being; no matter how many years passed, no matter what happened, there would be a place in your heart for them. Seeing him like this was...hard. She do whatever it took to help him through this. And she was. There simply wasn't anything she could do. This,_ this _was pointless. This was a futile waste of time.

While Marie didn't like to acknowledge it, Stein's condition was deteriorating her own: lately her appearance grew unkempt, and despite her fierce efforts to remain positive, dark circles shadowed her eyes, her smile was starting to seem fake, and her positive attitude forced. Her hope was slipping. A war loomed ahead; powerful forces were emerging to strike the DWMA down. She was a small person to make any difference.

She stretched, lost in dark thoughts; the grading work was going much slower than it should have been. She was used to supervising Oceania. She couldn't do this! While teaching was a great experience and she loved the children, she felt she wasn't the best person for the job; especially during this time of fear. All she could think about was the horror the future could hold. _What if the children got into a fight they couldn't handle, and don't make it? And what if it's all my fault, because Stein is a better teacher than me? I could've forgotten to tell them something vital, the thing that could have saved them. What if Death City falls? It's so fragile. One little disaster and it's all over. What if Stein becomes consumed by the madness, and I can't save him? _She shuddered at the thought.

_Where did this negativity come from? It must be the Kishin's madness_, she thought sadly. She shouldn't let it get to her. She knew her worries were abnormal, but she still didn't think she could deal with that kind of loss. _It's not going to happen. Everything's going to be okay. I need to trust in my friends._

Stein was better at dealing with hardship than she was. She admired that about him, and the children did too, she knew. He was someone they respected and trusted when it came to the serious things. Marie couldn't be Stein for them. Despite her efforts she- she got lost, and she panicked. Count on bright Marie for cheering up, friendship, and advice. Count on her for loyalty and spirit! But whether it was geographical directions, teaching, or leadership, Marie wasn't your girl.

She looked at the papers in front of her again. She found her pen mindlessly going over the same essay line, over and over again. She frowned, and started concentrating on the words. This needed to get this done! She didn't want to be here forever. She wanted to go home, and see Stein! To talk to him, even if he was barely there.

_No! Think about something else! _She pushed the dark thoughts out of her mind once more. She refused to continue in this rut of sadness, however, and Marie's focus shifted to the happy glow the thought of the children brought her; how brave and talented they were. Their teamwork. Her class was filled with so many powerful partnerships. One day they would all grow up to be great meisters and weapons, and Marie knew it wouldn't be because of her. She began humming quietly to herself to fight of the coming darkness of her thoughts. As her pen flew over the papers, she was interrupted.

"Hello?" a voice called. A young girl entered the room. She looked about twelve of thirteen, with short dark hair and dark eyes. "Um." She bit her lip. "I was wondering if you have seen my younger sister? She was supposed to meet me after school, but she didn't. I went home, because I thought she might have gone without me, but she wasn't there either. So I came back here...-" she trailed off, nervously. "You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No, sorry I haven't. Who's your sister?" Marie asked, setting down her pen. The sun was beginning to set.

"Oh, um. Her name's Arrie...she's seven."

"Alright. Don't worry; I'm sure she'll turn up. I'll send a message to Lord Death. How's that sound?" She smiled at the little girl before her comfortingly.

"No thank you, I think she might be playing a joke on me again. You see, she often runs off."

"Oh, okay. Bye then." She waved as the girl left.

The papers in front of her seemed to glare at her. 'No more interruptions!' They seemed to tell her. "Finish!' they demanded. She felt stressed just looking at them. _C'mon, just a few more left. _Picking up her pen, she steeled herself and forced herself to finish.

An hour later, she was done. Sighing with relief, she stood up, and straightened out the classroom a bit. Then, gathering her bag, she exited the classroom herself, and started for home. Out the main door, down the steps. Her thoughts had kept her from home for long enough. _Stein! Please get well soon!_

Time would bring her friend back to her, just as he had returned from the darkness before. All she could do now was wait for him.

Buried deeper now, but ever present, a dark question lingered.

_What if she failed?_

x X x

Tsubaki walked down the steps of the DWMA with her friends. It was the weekend, the school week was over and she and Maka had planned a sleepover. It had been a few weeks since they had all become friends, and between school, constant missions, and extra lessons the group had grown close rather quickly. _However, nothing beat the bonding power of a girls' sleepover_, she mused.

Black*Star was going to spend the night working out, so he wasn't going to miss her (or so he said, waving off her concern when she asked him). Tsubaki laughed softly at the memory, happy to have such a strong and great meister as Black*Star.

Lost in thought, she had fallen slightly behind the now splitting group. Everyone was starting off in the direction of their respective homes. Tsubaki jogged a bit to catch up to Maka and Soul, and waved goodbyes to Kid, Patty, Liz, and Black*Star.

The rest of the walk back to Maka and Soul's apartment was filled with the chatter and laughter of the two girls. Soul did not take part in the conversation, deeming it 'uncool'. He kept slightly behind the girl, just listening with his hands on either side of his head, elbows sticking out in opposite directions. The trio walked home in the late afternoon light.

After dinner (arranged by Maka), Soul said goodnight to the girls, and Tsubaki and Maka stayed up, continuing to talk about all manner of subjects and performing basic girl sleepover rituals, before falling asleep in the living room, bundled up in sleeping bags, fluffy pillows, and stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes.

x X x

As Marie walked home, she thought about how much time she was spending with Stein. Her time at school was really the only time they spent apart. She would have spent all her time with him; given his descent into madness, he only needed her more, but Marie needed a break from Stein. His constant presence could be quite overwhelming. Walking in on him alone at any time, she would find him grinning insanely, and muttering to himself. After a day with the children, however, she could look forward to seeing him, and believe that she had the strength to help him.

As she approached his house, she paused in her thoughts. As usual, the place looked odd, with its unconventional architecture, the lines of stitches running up the grey-blue surface. Not uncommonly, mist eerily crowded the place, but an ominous feeling permeated the air as well. Drawing closer to the unfettered black gate, she gasped. Stein's front door was open. An explosion of horror combusted in her chest. She cried in a frightened whisper, "No Stein, why?"

x X x

_From the teeth of the grinning moon drips wet dark blood; its yellow surface gives the city below it light. From above, this sleepy city is peaceful and still. Deep in the night, in a dim alley way, lay a girl. Upon entering the alley, one can see her more closely. She is on her back, staring up at the figure above her. She can't see who it is, for they are wrapped in shadows, clothed in the night. She tries to sit up, but finds she cannot._

_A knife descends into the path of vision, a segment alight solely by the faint light of the golden crescent moon. A hand appears, next. Closer. The knife is coming closer. An arm. The girl stared transfixed at where she guesses the person's face should be._

_Darkness. Horror gripped her, and her eyes stain to see in the gloom._ I can't see the face! How horrid! _Who stands above her?_

It's dark, is all_,_ _she reasons with herself. _Yes, that's all. The face must be in the shadows. _For some reason she feels she has to know. So familiar...she struggles to sit up._  
_The knife descends further toward her, and she glances at it._

_Realization floods her. Flinching at the sight of what she now understands is a scalpel, her mouth and eyes widen into 'O's', causing her attacker to giggle horribly with mad glee._

_Her attention shifts back to her attacker's shadowed face. There is no escape. She is paralyzed, she realizes, though with fear or otherwise she knows not. The scalpel descends into her flesh, and she stares earnestly at the shadows, waiting for a glance of her attacker. It never comes._

_A white wave of raw pain shoots through her. Her vision shrinks to black. She screams, and screams, and cruel, mad laughter is all she can hear. She tries to struggle, but her limbs don't respond. Her voice is soundless to her ears, and she tries to scream louder, harder. Someone will hear me!_

_But her voice is gone._

x X x

_Someone is screaming,_ Tsubaki thought, her sleep interrupted.

She sat up before she realized she was awake, remembering she was having a sleepover at Maka's, and was at her friend's side in an instant.  
_Another nightmare,_ she quickly realized, and twisted to turn on the lamp beside them.

She shook Maka, begging her to wake up. Maka continued to scream.

"Please!" Her voice trembled, and she shook Maka harder.

"Maka! Maka...wake_ up_!" Tsubaki vocalized her desperation, and Maka stopped screaming abruptly.

But Maka was not awake. Her mouth was open in silent horror, her eyes clenched shut. Maka's hands were claws, fingers curling awkwardly, grasping at the polished wooden floor. She was covered in sweat, her body twitching as though she was wracked by seizures.

"Maka! Wake up!" Tsubaki shook her desperately once more. Maka remained inside her world of terror. Heart racing with panic, Tsubaki sprinted to the kitchen. Grabbing a large cup from a cabinet, she filled it with water from the tap, and rushed back to her still writhing friend, and thrusting the contents of the cup into Maka's scrunched, frightened face.

Immediately, thankfully, Maka sat up, sputtering in shock, dripping wet, green eyes wide with terror, as the tears begin to flow down her cheeks and chin.  
Tsubaki was overwhelmed with relief.

"Oh! Maka! You're okay, Maka, calm down. It's okay now, it didn't actually happen!" She crouched next to her friend and gave her a long hug and softly soothing her with a continuous supply of comforting words as Maka continued to cry, soaking wet, into her friend's shoulder.

_Poor Maka..._

Tsubaki wanted to ask Maka about her nightmare, and to comfort her, as Maka had had nightmares like this before. Tsubaki decided against this however, because last time she asked about it, Maka told her that she didn't remember the nightmare.

While unsure if that was the truth, she knew Maka would tell her, or not tell her, and Tsubaki wasn't going to force it out. Maka didn't look as though she wanted to talk, any more than the last time.

After a few more minutes of tears, some hot aromatic tea, a good shower for Maka, and new pajamas and sleeping bags (the other ones got very wet), they both returned to bed. Tsubaki fell asleep quickly, tired from a week of school, from staying up late into the night, and from the recent shock of Maka's nightmare. They hadn't been asleep an hour, before Maka's nightmare interrupted both their sleep.

Soul, it seems, could sleep through anything. _I hope Maka's nightmares will stop_, Tsubaki thought as she drifted into sleep. _She doesn't need this..._

x X x

A short silver blade, flashing in the moonlight.

Maka's eyelids were haunted by the image: she saw it clear as day whenever she closed her eyes.

The "sight" kept her heart pounding, an effect of the adrenaline that had been coursing through her system. Though thoroughly exhausted, Maka knew she'd never return to sleep. She couldn't. Fear plagued her, hours after she had awoken, as if the shadowed figure still crept in the back of her mind.

She lay awake in her sleeping bag, with the top tucked over her wet hair, hiding from the shadows and cold. Tsubaki, she knew, lay on her right. Her quiet, steady breathing was still audible through the sleeping bag.

Maka knew she couldn't stay in the stuffy sleeping bag; she was starting to suffocate inside the thick insulation. Poking her head out would mean exposing herself to the night. But Tsubaki was there, and so was the lamp.

She couldn't breathe! _This is __ridiculous_... Making up her mind, she threw off the top of the sleeping bag, and unzipped it partially so she could slip out. She was going to face her fears. She couldn't stand waiting around in fear, cowering from a simple nightmare. If she couldn't sleep, she could go for a walk. Only a few hours until morning anyway.

After donning her usual clothes and grabbing her jacket, she headed into the night.

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**A/N: **Thank you for reading! I'll try to update as often as I can, but as this is my first story, I have yet to figure out my writing pace.

:D


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to my two reviewers: Underneaththemoon, and Lialane Graest! I probably wouldn't have written this without you.

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**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Soul Eater.**

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_Missing?_ Death scratched his head._ Well, this wasn't exactly unexpected, but...it was still rather early._

He tilted his head to the right, contemplating.

Stein's madness was progressing much faster than it should have been._ What could possibly be the cause?_

_He was in the Death Room, and had just received the bad news from Marie. She had come bursting through the entry, quite distressed. Fresh tear trails were visible on her cheeks, and her golden hair was knotted, as if she was too preoccupied to bother with it. It was immediately apparent that she had run there, as she was out of breath._

_"Stein! Stein is gone!" she shouted. He had looked up in surprise from where he had been sitting at the death mask shaped table, having tea. He didn't sleep much. Taking in her appearance, he took a long sip of his tea, he gestured for her to sit, and saying "Have a seat."_

_He had poured her a cup of tea, and she accepted it with two hands. Taking a deep drink from the calming, steaming cup, she then proceeded to tell him what had transpired. When she had finished explaining, she fell quiet, her fingers fidgeting around the tea cup in her lap._

_"This **is** distressing news," he had commented lightly. Having listened carefully throughout, he remained quiet, thinking about what must be done._  
_'Hnnn...There must be something wrong...something he had missed,' Death mused. He didn't understand. However with time, he knew, all would be made clear. He had a few theories, but..._

_"I'm sure Dr. Stein will return soon enough."_

_Marie, who was staring into her drink, with a slight frown, looked at him with curious eyes. "Sir?" she asked hesitantly, uncertain._

_While he had given her what she needed to hear, Death was also fairly confident in his assertion. Dr. Stein would return to them. His conscious would drag him back: Stein loved his job, and his sanity, more than dissecting. He would not let himself be consumed by it. While Stein's madness turned him into an emotionless monster who tore people apart for fun, buried under that was his heart. And with Marie's help, his return would be even sooner. Her easygoing and cheery personality naturally dissolved madness._

_ "Marie," she looked up at being addressed, "Dr. Stein will need your help, of course. Your power is one of the only reasons he lasted as long as he did. I will be sending strong weapon-meister teams out looking for him, so don't worry. Your job is to use your power to bring him back mentally, once he returns physically. Until then, be patient!"_

_"Yes, Lord Death!" She stood up, smiling from from his words. Death's happiness rubbed off on you. "Thank you!" She turned to leave._

_"Oh, and Marie...," he paused as she turned to face him, "Don't worry about Stein. He'll be alright!" She smiled tiredly at his almost childishly happy voice, as if his enthusiasm would have made her smile any other day, but right now she was too tired and worried to do so. She turned to leave and started to walk randomly into the field of tombs that occupied the Death Room._

_He mentally slapped his forehead at her almost routine mistake. "Ahem...It's that way, dear." He pointed to the hallway of guillotines that led to the exit._

_"Oh, yes of course," she said, switching directions. Rubbing her own forehead sheepishly, she headed through the door, leaving Death to his thoughts._

**_Currently:_**

He wondered how she had made it to the Death Room without getting lost. _Maybe she did get lost on the way here? Or maybe I should find her an escort home? But then again, she's gone all these years without one, so I'm sure she can manage._

Shrugging it off, he picked up his tea, and took another sip.

x x x

_1...2...3...4...5_

Marie counted the street lamps as she passed them, struggling to stay awake. On either side of the street were buildings, which seemed to go on and on, colored in various shades of gray due to the low lighting. The late Nevada night was clear and cold; no clouds in sight.

As she dragged her weary self in the direction she hoped was home, she tripped as her foot struck something hard, sending her crashing into the pavement. She landed on her hands and knees.

_Owww! _She groaned

She sighed, checking herself for injury. Finding nothing serious, she then looked to see what she had tripped on.

_Oh. How odd,_ Marie thought.

It was a book.

More precisely, it was a thick storm blue history textbook. A student must have dropped it, and she could return it to school on Monday. She was a few minutes too close to home for it to be convenient to return it now. And without thinking about it much more, she picked it up, brushed off her clothes, and continued on.

It was now nearing 3 am, and she was exhausted. Not quite ready to take a nap in the street, she kept walking, and continued counting the street lampposts as she passed them.

_6...7...8...9...10...11..._

She stopped. She had reached a crossroads. _But which way: left, right, or straight down the middle? I should probably go left. Yeah, that felt the most right. Besides, on the way here, I think I remember heading to the left. _Finding her own logic sound, Marie took the left path. On and on she seemed to walk. But then, suddenly left felt wrong. _Maybe it was the right? Oh, I shouldn't head back, because then I'll never get anywhere. But if I'm going in the wrong direction, there's no point in continuing this way. _So Marie wandered in whatever direction felt the most correct.

Left, right, or straight?

Countless crossroads, countless decisions. Sometimes she had the feeling that she was walking in the opposite direction than was correct, and would turn around the way she'd come. She was sure she was walking in circles.

Had she seen that shoe shop before?

Nope.

How about that tree?

Nope.

_That post! The tall grey one that was at the corner of the street! The one with the three white stripes! I'm _sure_ I've found my way this time! I remember seeing that post on the way to school before. It's just a few right turns, and a left away from home!_ She ran forward to where she suddenly felt was the right way. Only to run into a completely unfamiliar area. _Okay. I know I have never seen a house like that. Who in their right mind paints their house in multi-colored polka dots? I was _so_ sure...Urgh! This so frustrating! Okay, stay calm Marie. Just keep walking._

After half an hour of walking, Marie realized she was lost. The more she tried to remember which way was correct, the more everything felt wrong. Nothing in sight was recognizable to her. No direction was the correct one. She had long since given up counting lampposts. At this hour, most people were asleep. And she wished she was as well. She was by herself, lost in the middle of the night.

While a lot of people would panic if they got lost, years of dealing with that kind of experience gave her the patience to stay calm. Usually if she kept walking, she eventually found her destination, or found someone who could help her._ No one is awake, though,_ she thought._ Maybe if I keep going, I'll run into Stein's house. Puh. Only through divine intervention. Or dumb luck. _

She could just walk to one of the many window which lined the street, and call Death. So simple! He could send someone to help her: She would tell him what the street was, and she would wait for someone to come get her. Who would he send? Kid, his son? Another death scythe? _John Butataki? No!_...It was too embarrassing. Being lost...It was like she was cursed to lose her way. She would always ask for help from others. Always have to have to have someone to take care of her. How could she ever be strong, how could she help Stein, when she was so weak? Why not this one time? She could find her own way back on her own. If she just tried!

Besides...What if she ran into Stein? Despite intelligence, they had no idea if he had left the city. He could still be still here somewhere. _But why would he stay? What was was his reason? That wouldn't sense. He probably is long gone. _Not even Death knew his mentality, or his location. Stein was a very skilled meister, especially in his madness.

Hours seemed to pass, as she walked through streets, trying to find which direction was the right one. An hour later, though she had felt dead tired when she had started for home, she was feeling fine now. Her second wind was kicking in. With this new energy, she began jogging with the book clutched in one arm. Now she wished she had left the clumsy item where she'd found it. She picked up the pace. Whatever direction she was headed, she felt had a better chance of getting there if she was moving faster. Besides, walking was boring. She was beginning to think she was going in circles, but had no way of knowing if she was, or not. Everything looks the same when one's lost. Especially at night.

She considered her options as she jogged through Death City's quiet streets. She could just lay down in one of the many alleys she passed, and wait till morning. That option was unappealing. Although she could call Death using one of the many windows she passed, she didn't want to. She knew she couldn't help it, but was none-the-less fractionally embarrassed by her incompetence with directions. She looked to the moon once again. Throughout this whole ordeal, it was a bright and steadfast light. Soon this nightmare would be over. It was the darkest part of the night, which meant that morning was only a few hours away. Rather than give up, she kept going, feeling too energized to stop right now.

Her mind wandered to Stein. Where was he right now? Was he lost like her? Lost in the madness? She wondered how it felt. She'd never asked him before. He looked so scary when he was mad. He'd grin like he could kill her in a heartbeat and not care if she was dead. So different from the friendly, caring person she knew he was. His playful, happy smile when he would mess with her. How nice he was all those years ago when they were together. Goosebumps formed on her arms when she thought about the different Steins. She almost wished he was normal. Almost. His tendency for madness was part of who he was. And that was the person she loved. He wasn't Stein without both parts.

She stopped, her heart filling with sadness at his disappearance.

As she looked to the sky, and idea struck her. The moon! It was always right in front of Stein's house. So if she just walked toward it, she would run into the house. She started toward it. She thought nostalgically how they used to sit together and watch the sky. She watched it now, walking toward it. She couldn't go directly towards it, because of the way the streets were designed, and settled for zigzagging from one street to the next in the direction of the moon.

Marie dropped the book she was carrying in surprise when her right ankle sparked with pain. "Ahh!" she cried in surprise.

She'd stepped wrong, and her foot had hit the ground sideways. Careful not to hurt herself anymore than she already was, she delicately reached down and picked up the book, hopping the short few feet to the nearest wall. It happened to be a shoe shop. She dropped the book at the base of the smooth wall. Leaning against the periwinkle building, she took her ankle in her hand and gently manipulated it with her fingers to see how much it hurt. She was pretty sure she had twisted it. She could walk, but it wouldn't be worth it anymore. At this point, her second wind, and her hope of finding Stein's house on her own were rapidly diminishing.

Sighing, she slid down the wall. Now she was sitting alone in the city at night, and she couldn't even walk properly.  
Leaning back into the cold wall, she closed her eyes. What was she going to do now?

Soft footsteps echoed faintly from somewhere close by. Her head jerked up, eyes rushing to the origin of the sound.

"Hello? Who's there?" A pause in the rhythmic pattern of footsteps and then:

"Ms. Marie?" a familiar voice asked in response. The footsteps grew closer and faster as the person appeared from up the street, jogging toward her.  
It was..."Maka!"

"Ms. Marie! What are you doing here? Are you alright?" She stopped in front of her, crouching down to her older friend's level.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Well...I mean I-I'm sort of lost."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I was on my way home from seeing Dea- Maka! Stein's gone! I came home after school, and I saw the door open, and then I-"

"Wait, what?" Maka fell on her butt.

"Stein is missing. Maka he must have already succumbed to it...I'm so worried!"

"That's horrible. I can hardly believe it," Maka whispered in quiet shock. She moved in order to sit next to her, and Marie gushed all the feelings she was holding in, and explained what had happened.

About ten minutes later, Marie had gotten all her feelings out, and asked Maka why SHE was outside in the middle of the night.

"Tsubaki and me-" here she glanced at Marie, whose eyebrows had dipped into a slight frown at the improper grammar. "I mean Tsubaki and I were having a sleepover, and everything was fine. But then I had a really bad nightmare and couldn't sleep," she explained shortly.

"After a nightmare? Isn't that a little scary, Maka?"

"Um, well, maybe?" Maka asked, confusedly. She added a little laugh. Marie felt her face spread into a wide grin, and she burst out laughing at Maka's expression. Maka laughed too; happiness was contagious. "Never mind that. I'll get you home. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Marie said. Shifting awkwardly to stand, she put most of her weight on one leg, testing her foot. "Are we far away from it?"  
"Not too far, but its a few miles."

"Mm," Marie said. She bent down and picked up the book. It was beginning to become annoying.  
"What's that?" Maka asked.

"Huh, this? Oh, it's what I tripped on earlier. Remember I told you that I tripped? I guess I'm extra clumsy today," she said cheerfully.

"Hahaha," Maka laughed. "Oh I'm sorry," trying to hide a smile. She generally wasn't one to laugh when someone was hurt. However, Marie waved it off, laughing as well. Maka's face turned thoughtful."Whose book is it?" Seeing the blank expression on her friend's face, she took it from her. "Let me see." She turned the book over in her hands, opening the cover. "On the inside of our text books people usually write their name to ensure their book is returned to them in the instance it's lost. Wow."

Both of them were looking at the inside cover of the book, which was covered in stickers and colorful doodles. At the top, written in large bubble letters, was the name Clair Ramone.

"Clair Ramone." Marie read aloud.

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"You're right, it doesn't. Oh well. It must be someone's at school though." Closing the book, she held it to her chest, saying, "I'll carry it, don't worry."

"Thanks." Marie smiled appreciatively. "Let's go!"

"Yes, let's," Maka agreed. She led them, and Marie was glad to have the younger girl with her. They didn't talk as much as they had before, but both being tired, they didn't talk a lot either. The companionship was enough. After a several minutes of walking, Maka gestured toward two buildings. "It'll be faster to go through this way." Marie nodded, and they entered the small passage.

Maka stiffened and stopped walking abruptly.

Marie was about to turn to ask the cause, when she slipped on something, falling onto something...not the floor. With a yelp, Marie realized it was a person: They were small and warm and wet with something dark and sticky.

_Blood?  
_

She scrambled to get off what she now realized was the body of a child.

The girl, lying in a pool of her own blood, was certainly dead.

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Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you for all your kind reviews! Sorry for the disgustingly long wait. Thanks especially to Lialane Graest, XxMIDNIGHTDREAMSxX, and Kaita the creeper.

Warning: This gets a little gory. I'm not so sure if this is still considered T. Just be warned.

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**Chapter 3**

"No!"

Her voice sounded unnatural. The tone of a person who despite their fervent hope and effort, had just lost everything. And she felt she had. What was the point anymore?

She knelt in the pool of dark glistening blood next to the body. Blood soaked her hands and knees. It stuck in the grooves of her skin, to her fingernails, to the edges of her sleeves. She grasped at her own chest with shaking hands, her heart felt like it was torn open. She cried out into the sky above her. So disturbing was the sight, she felt pain as though it was her own blood that was spilled on the stony ground.

Death was never pretty, but _this?_ This was just...

Her body was grotesquely distorted, limbs projecting from her small center in a strange jumble that was almost artistic, despite how revolting it was. A knife was plunged deep in her abdomen: the grievous wound the obvious cause for her death, and for the stark lack of color to the little girl's skin. Little, shallow cuts pattered her skin, weeping lines of blood. Her dark hair and lifeless eyes stared pointlessly to the heavens. Marie reached down and closed them gently. To her revulsion, her fingers left blood smears on the child's face. She sobbed anew, choking on her tears at the sight; the dark streaks marring her face were like bloody tear trails, mirroring the ones on her own cheeks. _This is someone's daughter..._

She had always wanted a family of her own. People to hold and love. A little daughter. And so she felt the loss of the little one before her she felt as keenly as if it were her own. She easily visualize how disturbing and terrible it would be to lose a child that was her own. So needlessly. Her poor mother, wherever she was. She imagined the woman sitting in a chair in her child's room, staring out the window, wondering where her child could be, praying silently she was alright. And who to tell her of the tragedy? A worst nightmare brought to life!

_Whoever did this...!_ Angry tears slipped silently down to mix with the blood. She looked up behind her from where she knelt to see Maka. She stared transfixed at the body, her face shocked, eyes wide.

Marie stood up.

"We should tell someone," Marie said. They needed to get someone to help. She touched her shoulder in an attempt to pull her from her fixation. "Maka, we _need_ to tell Lord Death_ immediately_," she stressed. She waved a hand in front of Maka's face, and tried convincing her to leave the morbid scene. Maka did not respond.

Sighing, Marie left the poor girls alone, walking the direction they had come, until she found a shop lined street. The yellow light of a lamppost flooded the area with light, and her eyes winced and watered from the difference from the alley. A mirror, she needed a mirror. Where could she get one? She glanced around anxiously. Maybe she would have to break into a shop? She stood in the middle of the street, trying to discern what to do. There had to be a way to contact Lord Death!

Surveying the shops, she gave a start to see her own reflection staring back at her. But of course! Curse her tired mind for its slowness! Windows were reflective. Not so much as mirrors, but they would do the job. She walked up to the shop. It had a window, and that's all that mattered. She leaned close to the glass, exhaling heavily to create a patch of white fog. With a finger, she wrote out the sequence of numbers she knew by heart.

"Forty-two, forty-two, five sixty-four, whenever you want to knock on Death's door," she said. The little sing-song rhyme felt childish and out of place on her lips.  
As the numbers faded, she waited anxiously for a moment, before Death's cheerful face appeared. His smiling face brought mixed feelings. Her brows quirked downward. Now was no time for shows of giddiness or laughter, as was Death's nature. Although, a kind of perpetual flow of strength sprung from this same smile. Like a wise, kindly grandfather of sorts, she drew comfort from him.

"Hello! What is it? Oh, Ms. Marie, how are you?"

She gave a weak smile at his inquire. She was _tired_.

He glanced behind her, and seeing where she was, assumed she must have been lost, and asked her if she needed his help. Another time, she would have felt annoyed or relieved at his kind concern, the offer to personally come and help her home. However, now she felt only the weight of sorrow.

"I did get lost, but I'm afraid there's much worse news. A little girl has been murdered." She paused and waited for Death's response. His eyes widened but he remained surprisingly calm.

"What happened?"

"Maka found me, miraculously, and she was leading me home when-" She broke off uncertainly.

"I see. Where are you? I'll send the nearest team to assist you. And also get a medical team, of course." Marie looked down. She didn't know where they were! How could she? Death seemed to realize this, and said to her, "You said Maka was with you, correct? Ask Maka where you are, she must know."

"O-okay," Marie stuttered. She wasn't sure if Maka _could_ tell her. _The way she acted that time... _"Be right back." She walked back into the alley, taking it easy on her injured ankle. She arrived to find Maka right where she left her, though she sat now, knees on the ground, inches from the body. "Oi, Maka, where are we?" She reached down, concerned, her hand positioned above her friend's shoulder, when Maka turned around and looked at her in the eyes.

"It's just like my dream," she said. " _Just_ like it." Maka pointed at the body. She lowered her voice, and Marie found herself leaning down toward her to hear. "The only thing is, that should be _me_."

Marie had almost no idea what Maka was talking about. She sounded crazy. "Maka you're fine, I just need to know where we are so we can get some help."  
Maka was not paying attention. She was staring at the blood again and muttering, "Just like my dream, _just_ like it."

_Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear-!_ She tried to push down the rising fear. It was so dark, and she was so alone!

_No! Just think Marie. Where are you right now? We were heading toward Stein's house. That's a good start. Does anything look familiar? Nope, not really. Okay, so your on the way home, but not quite there. _

Now she was talking to herself! It was like 4am, and the lack of sleep was not helping the situation. Marie sighed, and began pulling at her hair, hoping the pain might trigger some idea.  
None were forthcoming. She was stuck once again, with no help. Her companions were a dead girl, and a crazy girl. Urgh! What was she supposed to do? Cry? Already she felt like tears, everything so hopeless and sad. She wouldn't cry again tonight. She refused. She could get through this. She was just going to go back to Death and maybe they could work out what to do.

She took a deep breath. In, out. She walked determinedly back to the window, wondering if Death was still waiting.

A hand touched her shoulder.

A thought rushed to her brain suddenly: The Killer was still out there! They would not get away!

She whirled to face her them, arms swinging. He caught her hand, and she was shocked to see that the Killer was someone she knew.

And then she realized something else.

_He would never do something like that!_, her brain screamed at her. She abruptly tried to stop her attack.

Too late. Her second strike hit him square in the chest, and he stumbled back a step.

She put her hands over her mouth. What had she done?

"Kid! Oh my gosh, Kid! I'm so sorry! I thought you were the Killer for a minute. I can't believe I hit you! I'm so sorr-"

"The Killer? Hold on. Who's dead?" He asked her straight, cut off her panicked apologies, and held both her hands.

"Wait you don't know?" she cried. "Your father didn't send you?"

"No, no he didn't. I was on patrol with Liz and Patty," he gestured to the two exhausted girls who Marie now noticed stood a few feet behind their meister, barely on still on their feet, "and we just saw you and assumed you were lost."

_Then what happened to whoever Death sent?_ She wondered idly. _That Team. Maybe they were farther away then she thought. Or, most likely, they were probably still out there looking for us._

She huffed and threw him a look. Kid being Kid, he didn't catch it. She found herself explaining the whole story once again. "Well, I am lost, but I was fine because Maka found me, and she was taking me home. Then, we found a body in that alley," she threw an arm in the general direction of the alley, "and now Maka is freaking out, and I don't know what to do!" The three before her, she noticed, looked as exhausted as she felt. They all had dark circles under their eyes. The normally energetic Patty was quiet, arms drooping low. Her sister was similar. _That's probably why I didn't notice them at first._

"First, show me the body, then we will contact my father," Kid spoke after a moment, slowly, as if he was contemplating what to do.

"Okay." Marie agreed. As much as she didn't want to witness the gore all over again, the faster she did this, the faster this nightmare would be over. The group walked into the alley, except for Liz, who cringed visibly, and shuddering, hesitated at the mouth of the darkness. After a minute, she ventured in, not wanting to be left alone in any place even semi-dark. It was better to be with friends.

While Kid quickly looked over the scene, Patty splashed half-heartedly in the pool of blood until Liz joined them. Liz pulled Patty to one side of the alley, out of Kid's way.

"Died of multiple wounds and blood loss," came Kid's quiet voice, as he made notes of the details. He alone seemed able to handle the situation with the calm it required.

Marie went to Maka, who was shivering and rocking back and forth. She wanted to apologize for leaving her alone with the body. She had been panicking herself, trying to figure out what to do, and while she did not blame Maka for her panicked state, she wished that the younger girl would be more useful. In the near darkness, she crouched next to her friend, and helped her up. Kid finished his quiet analysis of the situation, and they started to leave. Maka stumbled, even though Marie was supporting her. Kid picked her up, and they left the alley.

Marie led them to the window she had used. She was not surprised to see that Lord Death had ended the connection. She had been gone for many minutes. Kid set Maka on the ground, and they all waited as he called Death. Patty sat down as well, asleep and snoring before Kid had finished dialing. Marie looked at her, impressed. Liz picked at some miniscule problem with her nails.

The ghost-like masked face of Lord Death appeared on the window.

"Kid! Marie!" he exclaimed. "You never returned...What's going on?"

Kid explained everything. "Oh, and we need someone from the hospital to come pick up the body," he finished. "The street is Merryweather, closest intersection Angel Avenue."

Marie suddenly felt very relieved that someone like Kid had found them. Despite his obvious fatigue, he kept calm and alert. Now they just had to wait for the ambulance to arrive. They all sat against the brick wall of the building, and turned their attention to Maka, who seemed traumatized. Sitting beside her friend just as Maka had done for her earlier, Marie prepared herself to listen. "Maka, Maka tell us what happened." _I'll listen to you now_, she thought.

Away from the body and the darkness of the alley, Maka's sense seemed to be returning. They sat still as Maka began.

"I had a dream," she started. "No, a nightmare!" she quickly amended. "It was just like now. It was the one that brought me outside to begin with." Marie nodded encouragingly. "In the nightmare I was being chased by someone tall, cloaked in shadow. I ran and ran, but they quickly overtook me. I was so weak!" She shuddered, voice going, but she pushed on determinedly. "He caught me, and tortured me with his cruel knives, and I screamed. Then he laughed. Laughed at our pain, and how he hurt us. I didn't know him, but whoever he is; I know he's the same person who killed the little girl. We were the same, when he tortured us. I know it!" she added, seeing her friends' doubtful looks.

Marie only half believed her. The whole situation was creepy.

"Just the same as the dream, like we were connected." Maka said.

_This is just like telling ghost stories, but with no campfire_, Marie thought to herself.

"This doesn't sound like a coincidence," Kid conceded.

They kept up quiet chatter, to fight off sleep and dark, until they heard a car. The car turned out to be the ambulance, sent to their location on Lord Death's instruction. At such a quiet time of night, no sirens were needed. The emergency people drove up to them, and a few of them came out, dressed in their uniforms, with a stretcher and other equipment. They all stood (except for Patty, who was sleeping), and Kidd showed them the alley.

They waited for the experts to do what they did best.

However, the three people who went in, came right back out not half a minute later.  
"Wrong alley?" one of them asked. "There's no one in there."

"What?" Liz asked.

"No," Kid said slowly, confused, "I'm fairly certain that this is the one." He re entered the alley with the three medics. A minute later he and the others reappeared. "She's gone! The blood's still there, but the body is gone!"

"No!" Marie exclaimed, horrified. They all ran into the alley, and saw the truth for themselves. Then, they spent the next half hour searching within a mile of the crime scene for any hint of blood or any evidence that could tell them what had happened.

Kid was stubborn, and wanted to continue the search long after everyone was dead tired, and had given up hope.

"It's no use," Liz said tiredly. Kid nodded in assent. Finally, he was forced to give up. They had found not the tips of hair, of a drop of blood outside the alley.  
The emergency people offered to drive everyone home. So after Kidd contacted Death once more, they were each dropped off at their respective houses.

Marie got out of the ambulance, and stumbled for the front door, to find it was still open all those hours before. She closed the front door, set the book down on a table, and staggered into her bed.

Not bothering to even remove her boots, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The sun rose.

* * *

Review please!


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